The true beauty of Earth lies in the depths of its oceans. Only a sport like a scuba diving can allow us to experience it. Subhash Chandran is the lucky man who experiences this beauty every day. While being an enthusiastic scuba diver, Subhash is conscious of the environment. When he came to Vizag from Andaman, he had an entire career waiting for him.

He discovered his new life after a scuba diving expedition in Rushikonda Beach. Subhash was shocked to see the sad state of the ocean filled with plastic trash. After experiencing the serenity of the oceans in Andaman, he couldn’t let the ocean in Vizag remain in such a pathetic state.

Subhash Chandran with the team after a drive

The Birth of A Revolution

At that moment, Subhash Chandran and his friends – Padmavati Mandipalli (his wife), Sachin Sharma, Divya Teja, and Sargada Appanna went home and returned with their diving gear. After long hours and several trips in and out of the ocean, the ocean was in a better condition. The satisfaction from taking care of the environment made them come back again.

Cleaning the ocean became a favorite pastime for Subhash and his friends. His 13 years of experience as a scuba diver was instrumental in cleaning up the ocean. It is Subhash’s way of giving back to the environment. His wife also joined him in making the ocean safer for aquatic life. For the last eight years, Subhash has been training other scuba enthusiasts too. His team assists him in this process.

The Achievement of Subhash Chandran

Over the years, Subhash Chandran and his team have identified themselves as scuba diving environmentalists. The team started a company called Platypus Escapes Pvt. Ltd in May 2019. Here they teach scuba diving to interested people while doing their bit for the environment. 

So far, they have cleared 23,000 kilograms of waste from the seabed. It took countless dives into the Rushikonda beach to achieve this. They have recently taken a 64-day clean-up drive that cost him 2700 rupees to dive with one person. Subhash says it’ll all be worth it if even one person can learn to be environmentally conscious from him. They try to create awareness through social media platforms like Instagram.

Subhash Chandran with the team on a clean beach

Subhash Chandran with a teammate

The Recognition

Subhash’s dream of creating awareness came true very soon. One day, when he went to the beach to relax with his friends, Subhash found that some people were following his example. A few people went into the ocean and brought back all the plastic dumps from there. That was the day when Platypus Escapes Pvt. Ltd rose to fame.

There was a reporter from Eenadu on the beach who wished to cover Subhash’s journey to protect the environment. Following this popularity, Times of India, BBC, and Doordarshan became curious about Subhash Chandran’s story. Doordarshan wanted video clips of his diving and cleaning activities as the prime minister mentioned him in his speech.

Subhash Chandran cleaning the beach

Impressed by Subhash’s concern for the ocean environment, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave him a special mention in his Mann Ki Baat program. BBC got Platypus Escapes Pvt. Ltd an international appreciation. The company is proud of its association with 4Ocean – an international organization that works for ocean cleansing and safety.

Subhash Chandran has something more to be proud of. His primary interest lies in training disabled scuba enthusiasts. Subhash’s training institute is the first of its kind. This uniqueness is because of their particular interest in people with disabilities. To achieve this goal, Platypus Escapes Pvt. Ltd is associated with Scuba Schools International. Having reached this level in environmental safety and awareness is worthy of applause. Let us congratulate Subhash Chandran and his team for their tireless efforts. We must all look forward to joining hands with him.

Like us on FB, if you find our content interesting: https://www.facebook.com/hatkestoryofficial/

Do you have an interesting incident or experience to share with the world? Write to us, and together we can discuss how to weave your story and present it to the world. Would you mind sending us your story?